Objective To study the incidence, risk factors and prognosis of dysphagia after acute ischemic stroke, and to provide reference for targeted interventions. Methods Patients with acute ischemic stroke were consecutively enrolled and assessed for swallowing function by Water-Swallow Test and Volume-Viscosity Swallow Test within 48 h of hospitalization. Age, gender, medical history, location of the stroke lesion, muscle strength, Barthel Index （BI）, and National Institute of Health Stroke Scale （NIHSS） score were collected and follow-ups were performed at 1 and 3 months after discharge. Results A total of 542 patients were enrolled in this study. The incidence of dysphagia was 37.3%. Logistic regression analysis showed that NIHSS score, age, muscle strength and BI were independent risk factors for dysphagia （P＜0.05, P<0.01）. There were significant differences in mortality, incidence of pulmonary infection and the Modified Rankin Scale （mRS） score between the dysphagia and non-dysphagia patients after discharge （P＜0.01 for all）. Conclusion Dysphagia after acute ischemic stroke is prevalent, and is affected by performance in activities of daily living, neurological function, age and muscle strength. Dysphagia would impede the recovery after acute ischemic stroke, so systematic and targeted screening and early intervention should be conducted to improve the prognosis.